Jamaica has lifted the temporary ban on the importation of corned beef from Brazil.
Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries Karl Samuda made the announcement yesterday morning at a press briefing after discussions with stakeholders in the industry.
“That means that all imports en route, all stocks of corned beef that were quarantined, all stocks of corned beef in warehouses on the wharf, or elsewhere, destined for distribution across the country can now be released for distribution,” he said, according to a report by the Jamaica Observer.
The ministry imposed a ban on the import of corned beef from Brazil after an emergency meeting on March 20 after reports from Brazilian authorities that several major Brazilian meat processors had been “selling rotten beef and poultry”.
Samuda indicated that the decision to lift the ban came as a result of local testing carried out by the Bureau of Standards Jamaica (BSJ) and the Veterinarian Services of the ministry, which found the product to be uncontaminated or “within normal limits”.
Furthermore, teams from the ministry, as well as the Health Ministry, which visited two plants in Brazil where most of the corned beef destined for Jamaica is manufactured, found that they were in compliance with the necessary standards. The teams visited the country March 29 to April 2.
Samuda assured that the ministry will continue to monitor the situation.
